Trumpeter Fred: A Story of the Plains

A young trumpeter in a small cavalry troop is accused of stealing the post's pay and disappears, prompting officers to send dispatches and an uneasy search. Suspicious circumstances, a robbed camp, and mounting evidence bring a court-martial while comrades and commanders investigate, trail suspected traitors, and face hostile war parties on the plains. Telegraphic rumors unsettle families and the garrison, leading to imprisonment and tense attempts to prove innocence. The story follows the military inquiries, loyal friendships, perilous rescues, and the procedural unraveling of charges that culminate in judgment, vindication, and altered fortunes within frontier service.